Transsexualism

A trans woman (a male to female transsexual) with the letters "XY" written on her palm

Transsexual people change their sex. Some transsexual people go from male to female. Others go from female to male. They change how they look and act. They see doctors who can give them drugs and surgery. They change their name and sex through the law.

People who go from male to female (MTF) are transsexual women. People who go from female to male (FTM) are transsexual men.

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Transsexual women take female hormones. They may also take drugs that stop male hormones called androgens. Taking estrogen pills makes breasts grow. It does not make beards go away. It does not make voices higher. They remove their facial hair so it does not grow back. This takes a long time and hurts. Some transsexual women with low voices have surgery to raise them. Other transsexual women try to make their voice sound higher and more female without surgery. Some transsexual women also get surgery on their genitals. This is called a vaginoplasty. This is done by making a vagina from the skin of their penis, which is turned inside out. Some transsexual women also have surgery to make their faces look more feminine. Some also have surgery to make their breasts larger.

Transsexual men take male hormones. This will make their voices lower. It will make a beard grow. It can also stop their menstruation. Some transsexual men look like any other man after hormones.

Some transsexual men have surgery. One surgery is removal of breasts (mastectomy). Some transsexual men also get surgery on their genitals. One surgery is removal of the uterus and ovaries (hysterectomy). Some may also get surgery on their outside genitals. One way takes their skin and tissue and makes it into a penis (phalloplasty). Another way takes the clitoris (which grows bigger with hormones) and puts it where the penis usually is (metoidioplasty). The place where urine comes out (urethra) can be run through the new penis. The phalloplasty looks more like a penis. A metoidioplasty has more sexual function, but it is 5 or 6 centimeters long. Some ways also make a scrotum from the labia. They may also have the vagina taken out or closed.